Department of Forestry
Chapter 629
Division 625
FOREST ROAD CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE
629-625-0100
Written Plans for Road Construction
(1) A properly located, designed, and constructed road greatly reduces potential impacts to water quality, forest productivity, fish, and wildlife habitat. To prevent improperly located, designed, or constructed roads, a written plan is required in the sections listed below.
(2) In addition to the requirements of the water protection rules, operators must submit a written plan to the State Forester before:
(a) Constructing a road where there is an apparent risk of road-generated materials entering waters of the state from direct placement, rolling, falling, blasting, landslide, or debris flow;
(b) Conducting machine activity in Type F, Type SSBT, Type D streams, Type N streams, lakes, or significant wetlands;
(c) Constructing roads in riparian management areas;
(d) Constructing or reconstructing any water crossing, in all typed waters and lakes, bays, ponds, impounding reservoirs, springs, rivers, streams, creeks, estuaries, marshes, wetlands, inlets, and canals, as described in OAR 629-625-0320 Water Crossing Structures; or
(e) Constructing roads in critical locations, as described in OAR 629-625-0200(3): Road Location.
(3) Operators shall submit a written plan to the State Forester before constructing roads on high landslide hazard locations. Operators and the State Forester shall share responsibility to identify high landslide hazard locations and to determine if there is public safety exposure from shallow, rapidly moving landslides using methods described in OAR 629-623-0000 through 0300. If there is public safety exposure, then the practices described in OAR 629-623-0400 through 0800 shall also apply.
(4) In addition to the requirements of the water protection rules, operators shall submit a written plan to the State Forester before placing woody debris or boulders in stream channels for stream enhancement.
(5) In addition to the written plan requirements of OAR 629-605-0170(12) and (13), the operator shall include an assessment of the following factors in their written plan for all water crossings as described by OAR 629-625-0320:
(a) Operator transportation needs, road location, road management objectives, and land ownership;
(b) The specific resources that may be impacted by construction or reconstruction of the water crossing, including aquatic species, habitats, and conditions; floodplain values, terrestrial species, and water uses;
(c) The specific risk factors at the watershed-scale, including geologic or geomorphic hazards, event history, past and projected land management, crossing maintenance history, regional channel stability, and projected watershed conditions over the life of the crossing structure;
(d) The specific risk factors at the site scale, including channel stability, potential for blockage by debris, floodplain constriction, large elevation changes across infrastructure, channel sensitivity to change, consequences of site failure to resources, and potential stream geomorphic changes over the life of the crossing structure;
(e) The specific techniques and methods employed for resource protection; and
(f) Additional information relevant to the proposed crossing structure as determined by the State Forester.
(6) Regarding water crossing structures for fills over 15 feet, if the conditions outlined in OAR 629-625-0320(1)(b)(B) are met operators shall submit a written plan to the State Forester.
(7) In addition to the written plan requirements in OAR 629-605-0170(12) and (13), written plans for Type F and Type SSBT streams shall include the following:
(a) Stream name;
(b) Stream size;
(c) Stream type;
(d) Stream basin;
(e) Watershed tributary area;
(f) Calculated 100-year peak flow, developed consistent with Forest Practices Technical Guidance under OAR 629-625-0300(3)(a);
(g) Measured stream gradient;
(h) Bankfull channel width;
(i) Structure location;
(j) Structure type;
(k) Structure size, including but not limited to culvert diameter, rise, span, length, and bridge width;
(l) Planned culvert grade or elevation change;
(m) Planned culvert embedment depth range;
(n) Planned culvert embedment material;
(o) Calculated structure flow capacity;
(p) Bridge freeboard, as applicable;
(q) Road name or number;
(r) Road surface type;
(s) Drainage plan;
(t) Installation time frame;
(u) Equipment access;
(v) Stream isolation method, including but not limited to stream diversions, bypasses, pumping; and
(w) Expected riparian management area tree removal.
Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 527.710(2) & Section 2(1), Chapter 33, Oregon Laws 2022
Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 527.630(3), 527.765, 527.714 & Section 2(2), Chapter 33, Oregon Laws 2022
History:
DOF 1-2024, amend filed 01/03/2024, effective 01/03/2024
DOF 7-2022, amend filed 11/21/2022, effective 01/01/2024
DOF 1-2017, f. 6-9-17, cert. ef. 7-1-17
DOF 8-2005, f. 12-13-05, cert. ef. 1-1-06
DOF 6-2005(Temp), f. & cert. ef. 8-2-05 thru 1-27-06
DOF 12-2002, f. 12-9-02 cert. ef. 1-1-03
FB 9-1996, f. 12-2-96, cert. ef. 1-1-97